1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to post-traumatic treatment of injuries, especially back and spinal injuries and, more specifically, to a thermally-interactive backboard with internal ducts for circulation of heated and/or cooled liquid or gas for treating a patient with a severe back injury.
2. Description of the Related Art
Trauma-related paralysis victims are often not paralyzed directly from their injuries, but rather from the inflammation and edema which frequently result from injury.
Unabated, or inadequately-abated, inflammation can result in soft tissue damage, including neurological damage (a primary contributor to paralysis), due to the manifestations of the physiological changes that occur during the inflammation or edema process. These hemodynamic changes include increased capillary permeability and leukocytic exudation.
The application of cold to the injury site helps to decrease the effects of inflammation and edema, and may prevent their advancement to an acute state. In cases of spinal injury, emergency medical service units often fail adequately to address both post-traumatic inflammation and edema, because immobilization and stabilization of the patient are their primary concerns.